


trapped in my withering skin

by MissELY



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, F/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:00:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24173254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissELY/pseuds/MissELY
Summary: The mark was carved into Theo’s arm.He traced it with a tentative touch; the brush of his fingertips on the raised skin of the scar giving him goosebumps.MUDBLOOD
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Theodore Nott
Comments: 34
Kudos: 212
Collections: You Pick Two





	trapped in my withering skin

**Author's Note:**

> Submission for [LadyKenz347's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKenz347/pseuds/LadyKenz347) "You Pick Two" Flash Fiction Competition on the Dumbledore's Armada Discord.
> 
> I chose Hermione Granger and Soulmate AU, I was assigned Theo Nott.
> 
> Title from the lyrics of Eulogy by Saves The Day.
> 
> Thank you to [MrsRen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKenz347/pseuds/MrsRen) for reassuring me this wasn't awful!

The mark was carved into Theo’s arm. 

He traced it tentatively; the brush of his fingertips on the raised skin of the scar giving him goosebumps.

_MUDBLOOD_

He had known that his connection with his soulmate would result in a mark sometime after they both were of age. 

But when he felt the skin of his inner arm burning at the beginning of May, he thought he was being punished. The pain seared through him and he groaned through the spasming of his muscles; his jaw clenched so tightly his teeth creaked.

After a few minutes the overwhelming pain subsided, replaced with a throbbing ache in his left forearm. Maybe the Dark Lord was calling him; he didn’t know what it felt like, he had never experienced it before. His mark was fresh, just hours old. 

He caught his breath and pushed his sweat-damp hair out of his face. He needed to check his mark. He didn’t want to, already hating the sight of it.

But when he rolled up his shirtsleeve, he realized that it was worse than that. 

The blood oozed out of the fresh wound sluggishly. It was slashed across his forearm, overlapping with his Dark Mark. His face contorted, half disbelief, half anguish. His soulmate must have received this mark. Someone had hacked this word into the flesh of his other half. 

He was swallowed down his nausea, suddenly realizing that if the word was true, his soulmate might not survive the war.

* * *

Hermione hadn’t noticed the new scar at first.

She had worn long sleeves during the battle. Afterwards she avoided looking at her arm for other reasons.

She didn’t want to be reminded of being helpless on the floor of Malfoy Manor, her skin being torn apart.

When she finally saw, she traced the outline of the skull and serpent with fingers that shook, half disgust, half curiosity. 

She had thought that she must have gotten it at some point during the battle; that after Voldemort fell one of the Death Eaters had tried to throw doubt onto who was a real follower. Maybe she remembered pain on her arm, but everything had been frantic and frenetic.

But no one else had it. 

No one else had the pale outline of the Dark Mark on their arm.

The scar Bellatrix gave her overlapped the mark, and when she had first noticed how they touched—how the “D” in “MUDBLOOD” followed the curving line of the snake’s body—she laughed herself sick and then sobbed, scratching her skin, shaking and desperate.

It wasn’t until months later when Ron had offhandedly mentioned his soulmate mark, that Hermione realized it might be something other than one last scar from the war that had stolen so much.

She threw up again.

* * *

Theo learned who his soulmate was on accident.

He had taken to reading the Daily Prophet cover to cover, mostly to see if those he had testified against had been convicted. 

That’s where he saw the photo, tucked next to a piece about the fashion of the Golden Trio.

She was facing away from the camera, only her wild hair making her identifiable. The long sleeve shirt she was wearing was thin enough so that the ridges of the same letters that marked his arm were visible on hers.

His heart clenched.

He didn’t sleep that night or the next.

* * *

Hermione made discrete inquiries. She knew only the outline of who she was looking for. Death Eater. Recently Marked just before the battle. 

She bullied Malfoy into giving her the name.

Theodore Nott.

She hadn’t remembered much about him. Thin, tall, black hair, dark blue eyes. He had been able to see the thestrals.

She ended up outside his flat, hand half extended, staring at the door willing herself to gather the courage to actually knock.

He opened the door and she snatched her hand back as if it had been burned.

“Would you like to come in, or would you prefer to lurk?” His voice was dull and resigned and she resisted the urge to flinch.

Hermione had never daydreamed about her soulmate. But she had thought that maybe—

But obviously not. 

Theo’s shoulders were stiff as he ushered her into his sparsely furnished living room. 

He didn’t offer her a seat, but she sat anyway, perching on the edge of an uncomfortable but stylish chair. 

He stood, watching her fidget. His eyes guarded, body so tense he appeared spring loaded. The lines around his eyes were deeper than they should be at his age, and there was a tightness around his mouth.

Her hands went to her lap, grasping each other, twisting, turning.

“This may come as a surprise, but I believe I’m your soulmate.” She blurted, words stuttering out. 

The confidence she had when she practiced the phrase in front of the mirror was gone.

“I know.” Theo’s voice was flat.

“Oh.”

He looked down, eyes lingering on her left forearm. Her sleeves were long enough to conceal her marks, but she felt the heat of his gaze through the fabric.

Hermione swallowed convulsively, trying to regain her footing. “Would you—would you like to see?”

Theo nodded wordlessly, and she neatly rolled up her sleeve.

Both marks came into view and Theo froze, all color draining from his face.

With a shaking hand, he reached out, his fingers grazing both marks tenderly. Where he touched she felt a cleansing fire run across her skin. 

The contact made him drop to his knees. He bit down hard on his lip. Hermione thought it might bleed.

His breath caught and his eyes darted up to meet hers. She watched as he crumpled in on himself, vibrating.

She held her breath.

He let out a choked sound, between a gasp and a sob and he leaned into her, head bent, penitent.

Instinctively she reached out, her trembling palm glancing across the crown of his head, a benediction. 

They drew together and electricity sang in their veins.


End file.
